diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Field/Field.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Field/Field.php
index 0ff36d7..6cdd88c 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Field/Field.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Field/Field.php
@@ -224,8 +224,8 @@ public function defaultAccess($operation = 'view', AccountInterface $account = N
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function applyDefaultValue($notify = TRUE) {
-    if (isset($this->definition['settings']['default_value'])) {
-      $this->setValue($this->definition['settings']['default_value'], $notify);
+    if ($value = $this->getDefaultValue()) {
+      $this->setValue($value, $notify);
     }
     else {
       // Create one field item and apply defaults.
@@ -235,6 +235,18 @@ public function applyDefaultValue($notify = TRUE) {
   }
 
   /**
+   * Returns the default value for the field.
+   *
+   * @return array
+   *   The default value for the field.
+   */
+  protected function getDefaultValue() {
+    if (isset($this->definition['settings']['default_value'])) {
+      return $this->definition['settings']['default_value'];
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   public function getConstraints() {
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Field/FieldDefinitionInterface.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Field/FieldDefinitionInterface.php
index 386d47d..bad055b 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Field/FieldDefinitionInterface.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Entity/Field/FieldDefinitionInterface.php
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 namespace Drupal\Core\Entity\Field;
 
+use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface;
+
 /**
  * Defines an interface for entity field definitions.
  *
@@ -156,9 +158,21 @@ public function getFieldCardinality();
    * Currently, required-ness is only enforced at the Form API level in entity
    * edit forms, not during direct API saves.
    *
-   * @var bool
+   * @return bool
    *   TRUE if the field is required.
    */
   public function isFieldRequired();
 
+  /**
+   * Returns the default value for the field in a newly created entity.
+   *
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface $entity
+   *   The entity being created.
+   *
+   * @return array
+   *   The default value for the field, as an array keyed by delta and by
+   *   property names.
+   */
+  public function getFieldDefaultValue(EntityInterface $entity);
+
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/datetime/datetime.module b/core/modules/datetime/datetime.module
index ebbcdd8..107e954 100644
--- a/core/modules/datetime/datetime.module
+++ b/core/modules/datetime/datetime.module
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 
 use Drupal\Component\Utility\NestedArray;
 use Drupal\Core\Datetime\DrupalDateTime;
-use Drupal\Core\Template\Attribute;
+use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface;
+use Drupal\Core\Entity\Field\FieldDefinitionInterface;
 use Drupal\datetime\DateHelper;
 use Drupal\node\NodeInterface;
 
diff --git a/core/modules/field/field.module b/core/modules/field/field.module
index 3203f2e..1e0fd23 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/field.module
+++ b/core/modules/field/field.module
@@ -234,44 +234,6 @@ function field_system_info_alter(&$info, $file, $type) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Implements hook_entity_create().
- */
-function field_entity_create(EntityInterface $entity) {
-  $info = $entity->entityInfo();
-  if (!empty($info['fieldable'])) {
-    field_populate_default_values($entity, $entity->language()->id);
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Inserts a default value for each entity field not having one.
- *
- * @param \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface $entity
- *   The entity for the operation.
- * @param string $langcode
- *   (optional) The field language code to fill-in with the default value.
- *   Defaults to the entity language.
- */
-function field_populate_default_values(EntityInterface $entity, $langcode = NULL) {
-  // Ensure we are working with a BC mode entity.
-  $entity = $entity->getBCEntity();
-
-  $entity_type = $entity->entityType();
-  $langcode = $langcode ?: $entity->language()->id;
-  foreach (field_info_instances($entity_type, $entity->bundle()) as $field_name => $instance) {
-    $field = field_info_field($field_name);
-    $field_langcode = field_is_translatable($entity_type, $field) ? $langcode : Language::LANGCODE_NOT_SPECIFIED;
-    // We need to preserve existing values.
-    if (empty($entity->{$field_name}) || !array_key_exists($field_langcode, $entity->{$field_name})) {
-      $items = field_get_default_value($entity, $field, $instance, $field_langcode);
-      if (!empty($items)) {
-        $entity->{$field_name}[$field_langcode] = $items;
-      }
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-/**
  * Implements hook_entity_field_info() to define all configured fields.
  */
 function field_entity_field_info($entity_type) {
@@ -488,17 +450,15 @@ function field_sync_field_status() {
  *   The instance structure.
  * @param $langcode
  *   The field language to fill-in with the default value.
+ *
+ * @return array
+ *   The default value for the field.
+ *
+ * @deprecated as of Drupal 8.0. Use
+ *   $instance->getFieldDefaultValue($entity)
  */
 function field_get_default_value(EntityInterface $entity, $field, $instance, $langcode = NULL) {
-  $items = array();
-  if (!empty($instance['default_value_function'])) {
-    $function = $instance['default_value_function'];
-    $items = $function($entity, $field, $instance, $langcode);
-  }
-  elseif (!empty($instance['default_value'])) {
-    $items = $instance['default_value'];
-  }
-  return $items;
+  return $instance->getFieldDefaultValue($entity);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php
index bccc64b..ca0eed1 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/Field.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 use Drupal\Core\Entity\Annotation\EntityType;
 use Drupal\Core\Annotation\Translation;
 use Drupal\Core\Config\Entity\ConfigEntityBase;
+use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface;
 use Drupal\field\FieldException;
 use Drupal\field\FieldInterface;
 
@@ -651,6 +652,13 @@ public function isFieldRequired() {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
+  public function getFieldDefaultValue(EntityInterface $entity) {
+    return array();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
   public function offsetExists($offset) {
     return isset($this->{$offset}) || in_array($offset, array('columns', 'foreign keys', 'bundles', 'storage_details'));
   }
diff --git a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/FieldInstance.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/FieldInstance.php
index 9628256..e00267f 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/FieldInstance.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Core/Entity/FieldInstance.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 use Drupal\Core\Entity\Annotation\EntityType;
 use Drupal\Core\Annotation\Translation;
 use Drupal\Core\Config\Entity\ConfigEntityBase;
+use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface;
 use Drupal\field\FieldException;
 use Drupal\field\FieldInstanceInterface;
 
@@ -565,6 +566,19 @@ public function isFieldRequired() {
   /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
+  public function getFieldDefaultValue(EntityInterface $entity) {
+    if (!empty($this->default_value_function)) {
+      $function = $this->default_value_function;
+      return $function($entity->entityType(), $entity, $this->getField(), $this, $entity->language()->id);
+    }
+    elseif (!empty($this->default_value)) {
+      return $this->default_value;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
   public function allowBundleRename() {
     $this->bundle_rename_allowed = TRUE;
   }
diff --git a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/FieldType/ConfigField.php b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/FieldType/ConfigField.php
index 29ce028..dfed088 100644
--- a/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/FieldType/ConfigField.php
+++ b/core/modules/field/lib/Drupal/field/Plugin/Type/FieldType/ConfigField.php
@@ -72,4 +72,11 @@ public function getConstraints() {
     return $constraints;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function getDefaultValue() {
+    return $this->getInstance()->getFieldDefaultValue($this->getParent());
+  }
+
 }